Many carrier network operators are deploying Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Device Management (DM) (OMA DM) compliant implementations of Firmware Upgrade Over The Air (FOTA), a standards-based approach to upgrading core device software wirelessly. However, there are some aspects of the OMA DM FOTA model that limit its effectiveness for certain handheld devices such as, e.g., smart phones or any handset with a complex firmware definition.